Faith in God

INTRODUCTION: 3 minute

We have been on a series titled Believe

And in this series we have been looking mostly at the life of Abraham

There were three significant milestones in the life of Abraham.

His initial call in Genesis 12,

God’s covenant with him in Genesis 15,

And the proving of his faith in Genesis 22 when God asked him to sacrifice the very thing that was promised to him, that which he received as a miracle, his firstborn son bore to him at a very old age.

While the sacrifice of Isaac was Abraham’s ultimate test, God was shaping and strengthening, Abraham’s faith all throughout his life – Just as God does with all of us, whether we realize it or not.

THE SOLUTION: Transition into objective of sermon 1 minute

Today, by briefly looking at Abram’s journey from chapters 12-15, we are going to look at how God was building Abram’s faith all along.

God did not want for Abram’s faith to be based solely on what he could do for him— but more importantly — he wanted Abram’s faith to be based on the person and character of God himself

The Title of my message today is Faith in God

Transition to next point: Everyone’s journey of faith begins with a call — In Luke 5:32, Jesus tells us that he did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance — And Abram was no different

1. The Call of Faith 6 minutes

The first milestone in Abraham’s life that we will look at today is the Call of Faith

A. Called out of Ur of the Chaldeans

When we look at Abram's life, we often begin with chapter 12, where we read of his initial call from God.

But, those chapter markers were not there in the original manuscript. In reality the account of Abram’s story begins at the end of Genesis 11, with his father Terah, while they still lived in Ur of the Chaldeans —

This is where Abram received the call to leave his country, his people and his father’s household, that we read about in Genesis 12:1.

Ur of the Chaldeans was a land of idolatry and the worship of other gods, and God was calling Abram out of that Land — The Bible tells us that even Abram’s own father, Terah, was also involved in the worship of other gods.

Joshua 24:2 states that “Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.”

Abram’s calling out of that pagan land symbolizes how God also calls us out of the world and out of a life of sin and idolatry

Sometimes this can also mean a calling out of sinful and idolatrous relationships

B. Settling in Harran

Now we know that Abram was still in Ur of the Chaldeans when he received God’s call because In Acts 7:2, a man of God named Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit tells us, “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.”

Where is this Harran place? When did Abram live there?

To find that out we have to go to where Abram’s story actually begins, at the end of Genesis chapter 11

Genesis 11:31–32 “31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.”

Abram, while in Ur of the Chaldeans, received the call to leave his country, his people and his father’s household - but when he does leave, we find him traveling with his father Terah and his nephew Lot — and although they were headed to Canaan — the land that God was taking him to — we find them eventually settling in Harran.

Abram settled in Harran

Abram settled with his father Terah in Harran — his father that worshipped other gods — all along while knowing he was called to go further — They stayed in Harran for about 50 years — It wasn’t until his father died, that Abram finally set out for Canaan, as God had initially told him to do.

Harran represents the place where many of us also settle in our journey of faith, in our calling — We may have started the journey — but soon we find ourself settling for one reason or another — you know, life happens — we settle for knowing we are called without ever going all the way.

Illustration about how I dropped out of college to work at a gas station

Maybe you are in Harran today — for me that gas station job was my Harran

Make no mistake about it — God’s call of faith requires courage and sacrifice — As harsh as it sounds, God was asking Abram to leave everything he knew behind, his country, his people, and his family.

But settling for anything less than what God has called you to do — is like dropping out of college to work at a gas station

How will you respond to God’s call of faith?

C. The greatness of Abraham’s name

Thankfully, God was gracious and patient with Abram — as he is with us — And while God’s call of faith comes with sacrifice — it also came with a promise

Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:29 “29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”

When God called Abram in Genesis 12, it was a call that was tied to a promise — “Go and I will”

Genesis 12:1–3 “1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.””

God was telling Abram, I will give you a new name, I will give you a new identity

That’s why he wanted him to leave everything behind

This wasn’t an offer of wealth and fame – this was an offer to belong to God – Yes, belonging to God brings with it many blessings, but the purpose of the call is to belong to him – not for the material gains.

Leave your country — I will make you into a great nation

Leave your people — I will make your name great

For generations after – God introduced himself as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob –

Just like children take on their father’s last name, the names of these patriarchs are forever joined with Yahwey, the Great I Am.

Abraham’s name became great because he belonged to God, not because of what God gave him.

The Apostle John 1:12 “12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—”

Today God is asking you, “Are you willing to leave everything behind for him — to trade your name and your family name for his — to trade your nationality, your identity, for his?

The call of faith is a call to belong to God

The call of faith calls us out of the world, and calls us into a new identity in God, and to go further in our faith than those around us may have settled for — Don’t settle for Harran

Transition to next point: Although it took 50 years and the death of his father, The Bible tells us that Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and left Harran, and set out for the land of Canaan and he did arrive there.

2. The Covenant of Faith 6 minutes

The second milestone in Abraham’s life that we will look at today is the Covenant of Faith

A. Don’t be afraid 2 min

Genesis 15:1–2 “1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?””

Abram’s faith began being tested from the moment he was called — as we just learned — it took him 50 years to finally make it to Canaan, the land that God called him to go to

But even after reaching Canaan what we find between chapters 12 and 15, is that he was tested again and again in many ways.

At the end of chapter 12, he goes to Egypt because of a famine and creates a messy situation involving his wife and Pharoah — God had to shut that down immediately

In chapter 13, both Abram and his nephew Lot had accumulated so much wealth and possessions that the land could not support the both of them — so their herdsmen began to fight — causing Abram and Lot to have to separate — This is how Lot ended up living in Sodom — and we all know how that ended

Then in chapter 14, Sodom and the neighboring cities went to war and lost and Lot was taken captive because of it — So Abram gathered his own men and went to war against 4 kings to rescue him.

In the NT it talks a lot about the trials that Christians must face in life — The OT is not different — Nowhere in the Bible does it hide the fact that, just because we are called by God — we will be exempt from the trials of life — that is how our faith is developed

But throughout each of those chapters, God was there reminding Abram of his promise to him — encouraging him.

Genesis 12:7 “7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

Genesis 13:15 “15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.”

And now again, in chapter 15, God comes to encourage Abram — after his battle with those 4 kings — but this time God tells Abram

Abram Don’t be afraid

I am your shield

I am your very great reward

God’s encouragement shifts from — I will — to I am

And yet, all that Abram can think of is what he doesn’t have — What can you give me? Where is the blessing? Where is the offspring you promised me?

So much so that he begins to rationalize that, since he was still childless, perhaps what God meant was for his servant to carry on his name.

God knew that for Abram to truly believe — his faith would need to be in who God is — rather than what God can give him

Up until now, Abram’s relationship with God was transactional— I do what you say — and you give me what you promised — And the moment that promise is delayed — there is bitterness, there is fear and doubt, there is compromise

The promise is only as good as the promise maker — If we don’t believe in the promise maker — we won’t believe the promise

Oftentimes the hardest thing to believe is not what God is able do — but what God is willing to do.

I know that God can do all things — so if my prayer has not been answered — or if my promise has not come — perhaps God changed his mind

This is the doubt that Abram is battling — “God what can you give me”

And God was saying, I’m giving myself to you — I am your shield — I am your reward

As long as our focus is on what we can get from God we will never be fully content.

There is nothing more rewarding – more fulfilling – that even God can give us – other than himself

B. Don’t doubt 2 min

Genesis 15:4–5 “4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.””

For the third time again — God promises to Abram that he will in fact have an offspring — That God meant what he said — exactly how he said it

God took Abram outside and showed him the stars in the sky and said “Try to count them if you can” — so shall your offspring be

What seems like a simple illustration is actually God declaring to Abram his glory — a reminder of who God is — that God created it all

Psalm 19:1–2 “1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”

God tells Abram - go ahead and count the stars — if you can — this reminds me of when Job challenged God — and God said to him “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Did you witness it?”

Sometimes we just need a reminder of who God is —

Paul David Tripp says it like this, “Every awesome thing in creation is designed to point you to the One who alone is worthy of capturing and controlling the awe of your searching and hungry heart.”

God was telling Abram — look to me, I am the source of everything you need and all that you have been longing for

C. Abram believed God 2 min

Genesis 15:6 “6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

This time Abram’s response was different — Abram believed the Lord! — This was no ordinary declaration of faith

This word believe meant to render permanent — it was a firm and unwavering faith in God — It was the kind of faith that had substance — the kind of faith that pleased God — it is what we call today saving faith — The kind of faith that alters the course of your life forever

Abram’s declaration of faith is quoted three times in the New Testament as the foundational passage for the doctrine of justification by faith

The Apostle Paul speaks of this moment as the first evidence that God had always intended that salvation would be by faith and not works

Paul tells us that, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed”

Romans 4:20–24 “20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”

Abram’s heart was fully surrendered to God as was able to believe in the promise maker and not only the promise

James 2:23 “23 “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.”

It was the kind of faith that changed Abram’s relationship with God — from transactional — to personal

And in the verses that followed, using a solemn ceremony, God “cut the covenant” or ratified his promise to Abram with a sacrificial covenant — further cementing and guaranteeing his promise to him

Genesis 15:18 “18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram”

There is no covenant with God, without faith in God.

Transition to end: 2000 years later God once again offered himself unto us in the form of his Son Jesus Christ — as it says in John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

REVIEW: Objective and rationale 1 minute

The same call of faith that Abram received is being offered to us today— to leave this world behind and belong to Christ

The same covenant of faith that Abram received is being offered to us today — and the only way we can accept it is by faith in Jesus Christ

Everything God did with Abram was pointing to Christ — The call — the covenant — the promise

APPLICATION: 1 minute

PRAYER:

Salvation call

Dear God,

I confess that I’m a sinner,

and I ask for your forgiveness.

I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

I believe that You raised him from the dead

From this day forward,

I surrender my life,

I surrender my will

to Jesus Christ

I pray this in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time: Text LIVING to 94000